Winter Dry Lips

It’s officially winter in our neck of the woods...and it’s been a cold one. While that cold brings awesome things like fires and snuggles and golden milk lattes, it also brings not so awesome things like dry skin and chapped lips. Flaky, cracked lips really can take a toll on your beauty dignity, #amiright?! There are an overwhelming amount of products out there claiming to give you a soft, silky pucker -- sometimes it's hard to figure out where to start!

We start by making sure ours are free of some of the most toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, many balms are made with some very questionable ingredients, which you definitely want to stay away from, especially considering they are going right on your mouth.

The biggest offenders?

Petroleum Jelly (aka petrolatum or mineral oil). A classic in moisturizing for years and years, this stuff was probably slathered all over your own tush when you were a baby, and then kept in your families medicine cabinet for use on all of your boo-boos. While we all still believe that mom’s know best, what many didn’t know at the time was that it is most likely carcinogenic and ranks a 4 on the EWG’s health hazard scale. In addition, chronic use of Petroleum Jelly can trick your skin into not being able to produce its own moisture, creating more problems than you started out with.

Parabens (aka any use of ‘paraben’ prefaced by ethyl, butyl, methyl, or propyl). This ingredient has been under attack for some number of years now, but many cosmetic and skincare companies ignore the findings of some alarming studies and continue to put them in many consumer products, not just lip care. Among the most alarming of these studies is the link between parabens and breast cancer. Do your own research, but you can bet we said dueces to those parabens long ago.

Sunscreen (aka Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Padimate O). Yes, you read that right. You see SPF on a package, and your brain thinks ‘good for me!’, right? Sadly, our brain’s are wrong about this one. These chemical sunscreens imitate hormones (like estrogen), which disrupt our bodies and may lead to a plethora of health issues, including low testosterone levels in men. Naysayers will argue that more studies need to be done on this topic, but we aren’t taking chances in the meantime!

Now that you know what to stay away from, we made a list of our favorite balms & scrubs, and made sure to pay much attention to keeping those pesky toxins at bay!

1. Beauty by Earth.

First of all, they are certified organic. And, as you all know, we really, really believe in certified organic. Second, you can order them on Amazon. Hellooooo, Subscribe and Save! Lastly, they contain some truly good for you ingredients like Coconut Oil and Shea Butter. Both have moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties!

2. Tarte Lip Facial Lip Scrub.

While this one has a few long chemicals we can’t pronounce, all check out as a 1 on EWG’s cosmetic database, except for Menthone Glycerin Acetal which is listed as a 2. We LOVE this product because it is a lip scrub you can slather on without getting your fingers all sticky. And it tastes so, so good. Use this as a nightly exfoliation treatment in the winter months, and you can bet your flakes will be kept at bay.

Pair organic ingredients with sleek, black packaging and we are hooked. Seriously, we are that easy. Not only is this balm made with Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, & Organic Cocoa Butter, but the minimalist tube it comes in is gorgeous. This is one of those products that make you feel like you should begin your career as an Organic Beauty Blogger… you know what I mean?

4. DIY. You don’t even have to be crafty to see this one through! Our tried and true method for 100% organic & natural lip care is as easy as can be.

First, we throw a big scoop (at least a cup) of Coconut Oil into a standing mixer. Use the whisk attachment, and turn it on medium for about 10 minutes. This is going to create an amazing, whipped coconut oil that we use as our balm (and our body lotion, and our hair mask, and for oil pulling, and for skin irritations…you get the idea). We store in a small mason jar or small glass ‘tupperware’ with lid. The oil may harden a bit, but you’ll fund as you grab it and it warms in your hand, the whipped texture will return!

For the scrub: Grab an old, clean eye cream jar ( don’t have any lying around? order some here). Mix together 2 tbl. of coconut sugar with 1 tbl. of honey, until you are left with a thick paste. Store in your little jar, and use nightly. We aggressively scrub with our sugar for about 60 seconds, wash off (and by wash off we mean lick your lips clean…), and follow with a big lather of whipped coconut oil. Doesn’t get more organic than that!!

What are some of your favorite lip products? We’d love to hear in the comments below!